Braking mechanism for railroad trucks



Feb. 5, 1929. I 1,701,290

E. L. ALLINGTON BRAKING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD TRUCKS F Filed June 20, 21925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ii I Lfl Feb 5, 1929 E. 1.. ALLINGTON BRAKING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD TRUCKS Filed June 20, 1925 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg. 3.

Feb. 5, 1 929.

E. L. ALLINGTON BRAKING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD TRUCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 20, 1925 Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

. EDWARD L...ALIiINGDON, OF CHILLICOTHE, ILLINOIS.

BRAKING MECHANISM. FOR RAILROAD rmicxs.

Application filed June 20, 1925. serial-no. 38,412. 7

My invention relates to brakemechanism for railroad trucks and is adapted for use in connection with the well known double truck as well as to: any other'type of truck with slight mechanical changes.

The object of my invention is in the pro vision of simplified brake mechanism for use on the usual railroad truck. A further objectof my invention ls 1n the 10 provision of brake mechanism fashioned to not only increase the braking power but also to have the safety element of preventing the fallingof any part onto the rai s or therebetween, due to breakage oausedby wear or 'the sudden and tremendous force placed thereupon, due to the appl cation ofthe air a brake. I

Other objects of my invention Wlll appear in the following specification taken in connection withthe annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1,'is a plan'view from above of a truck having my. brake mechanismapplied thereto.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view taken on the line 2+2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3, is a plan viewfrom below of Fig. l. Fig. 4, is a sectional view taken on the line 44: of Fig. *1. I v

Fig. 5,.is an enlarged detail of a portion 30. of the brake-mechanism, the same being in plan, and

Fig. 6, is an enlargeddetail in side elevation of the brake mechanism, with various portions thereof cut away.

The present brake mechanism is adapted to be applied to any typeof railroad truck and'in the present instance has been applied to a well known structure, wherein the frame portions 10, house the bearings 11,

"40 carrying the axles 12 upon which, are

mounted the usual wheels 13..

Likewise there isv shown at 14, the supporting structure for the car or rather for the body structure, whatever it may be. The 4.5 spring tensionshock absorbing means for V the car body is shown at 15.

Obviously, the brake structure disclosed herein, is adapted to be controlled or rather operated by the well known air brake, the

same, however, not being shown in the present instance, and it' being well known that the application of air applies the brake and the shutting off, thereof releases the brake mechanism..

My articular brake'mechanism includes the to]. owingelementsz; 7

An extension top rod 16, is suitably and adjustably attached as at 17 to the air brake mechanism not shown. This extension top red is pivotally'attached at its opposite end as at 18 to a cross lever 19. The cross lever 19, has a pivotal attachment to two down-,

wa rdly extending brake levers '20, said brake levers, at a point intermediate their ends, having a pivotal andfulcrumed engageme'nt with the two forward brake heads 21, as well as the brake levers 20. The two above mentioned brake heads21, have a pivotal engagement 22,"with two brake hangers 23, that likewise have a loose connection 24 upon the inner sides of the frame members 10, of therailroad truck. The twobrake levers 20 have at their lowermost ends, piv-- otal connection with two bottom rods 25. The pivotal connection above mentioned, is adjustable as shown'at 26. Theopposite or rearward ends of the bottom rods 25, en-' gage two rear brake hang'e'rs'27 and this connection 1S again pivotal and adjustable as shown at 28.

The 'rear brake hangers '27 have a'loose' mounting 29upon the inside'of the framemembers 10, exactly as do the forward brake hangers.

brake heads, 31. There isa similar mounting of brake heads on the forward hangers. -Attaohed in a well known manner to the four brake heads above mentioned are brake shoes 32, the samebeing securely fastened by means of the brake shoe keys 33. En- 1 gaging in a positive manner a cross, member on the truck proper are two brake lever guides or safety members 34;, the same being disposed'parallel to the, bottom rods, 25,-

however, at a pointa substantial distance thereabove- .These brake lever guides have, their ends bifurcated as at '85, to permit a sliding movement therein, of the two brake levers, and the two rear brake hangers; The

Pivoted to the rear 1 brake hangers as at 30, and at a point adjacent the rear wheels of the truck, are'two opposed ends of these brake lever guides or safety members 34:, reach a point so close to the wheels-of thetruck that any passage therethrough of a disengaged brakehead or brake shoe is prevented. Similarly, va

broken hanger memberwould be supported I and the falling of any portion thereof including the brake heads upon the rails prevented. A pair of downwardly projecting U or catch members are attached as. at 36,to'eachof the brake'lever guides. in a manner to prevent the falling upon therails of either of the bottom rods 25, in case of disengagen'lent with the two brake lovers or two rear brake hangers.

Likewise a pair of U or supporting me1n-- bers 37 are attached to the railroad truck, or rather in this instance to the car body supporting member 14, these sameU members encircling the cross lever 19, in such manner as to prevent the downward movement thereof, in case of disengagement with either of the two brake levers 20. The operation of my brake mechanism is as follows:

The extension top rod is moved to a braking or releasing position by the air brake mechanism not shown. The movement of the extension top rod is transmitted to the four brake heads and shoes througl'l the two brake levers, bottom rods and two rear brake hangers, which really act as levers. Obviously, the forward brake hangers must be included in the above transm ssion of power, because they support the forward brake heads as well as the brake levers.

The pivotal mounting of the above mentioned. members synchronizes the distribution-of power, and equalizes the braking action. Dueto the particular fashioning of the above described braking: mechanism, 1 am able to increase theleverage and there fore the braking action. I

Also fewer parts are necessary and said parts may be of considerably less weight although permittin-g an increased braking power. The. above use of fewer parts and of less weight naturally decreases the cost of construction, but the main reduction in cost occurs in the maintenance. The fact that in the-present construction any part may readily be replaced without the tearing down of the entire braking mechanism, adds greatly to its utility.

Similarly, due to the safety construction, when any part is actually broken, its-falling either upon or between the rails is prevented and hence the possibility of wrecks, due to such falling of broken elements upon the rails, is obviated.

What I claim c c 1. In a car truck having a frame, a brake lever, and a brake head attached to said lever; a member secured to said. frame and extending beneath said brake head. for supporting said brake head when it falls from its attached position, said member having a bifurcated end adapted to receive and guide. said brake l'ever.

2. In a railroad car truck having a frame, a brake lever, and a brake element carried by said brake lever for frictionally engaginga wheel of said truck; a safety member secured to said frame and extending between said brake element and the track for preventing said brake element from itallinp onto the track, said safety'memberhaving one of its ends adapted to engage-and guide said brake: lever.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

EDWARD L. ALLINGTON. 

